Let Sleeping Survivalists Lie
by TekeoMiona
Summary: or The One Where Burt Really Does Shoot First and Ask Questions Later. Creatures are dangerous, but so is exhaustion.


**Hey guys! I'm back with a little ditty that I got from some OTP prompt on tumblr. It's not OTP, but the idea of Tyler flinging Burt off an air mattress was too funny to pass up. Plus, I needed to write something, AND I FEEL SO GOOD TO HAVE GOTTEN SOMETHING OUT FINALLY! Except I almost couldn't finish it 'cause when I got to the end I _could not stop laughing_.**

 **Anywho, enjoy. And hopefully soon there'll be another little ditty, 'cause I'm working on one called Unprepared.**

 ***DISCLAIMER* I make no claim to own Tremors and its characters. They are the property of S.S. Wilson and Universal Studios. No profit is made from this writing.**

* * *

Burt crested the top of his 20th hill and paused to look around for his 2000th time. Rosalita followed him a second later, the pump shotgun Burt had let her have resting on her shoulder. The sun was well on its way past the horizon, the sky a brilliant hue of orange and purple and pink. Any other time they might have enjoyed it, but right now they hardly even noticed.

After scouting their surroundings for several minutes, Rosalita broke the silence. "This is getting ridiculous."

"It's got to be around here somewhere," Burt replied, almost defensively.

"Burt, we've been searching all day. Whatever this creature is, it's avoiding us. Well."

Burt pursed his lips but said nothing. She was right. The animal that had shredded two of her cows, one of her bulls, a stray dog, and one and a half of Tyler's tourists was smart. They hadn't gotten a single good look at the creature since it had shown up. Only footprints, scat, and the occasional glimpse in the distance. Not even Tyler had managed to get a good look when it attacked his tour jeep, killing one passenger and badly injuring the other. It was fast.

Which only made Burt all the more uneasy. If it was brave enough to attack three people or even a herd of cattle, why wasn't it making a move on them? He and Rosalita-and Larry and Tyler at the other end of the valley-had been searching grid after grid since mid-morning after the early tour had been attacked. They'd started off in their vehicles, but after going through the entire valley without a hit, they'd started getting out and walking short distances, hoping to draw it out. It was risky, but they were getting desperate. Whatever mixmaster had spat out this time was too dangerous to be left roaming the valley.

Their radios crackled, and a moment later Jodi's voice drifted through. _**"Check in, guys. How's it going?"**_

 _ **"Nothin' yet,"**_ Tyler responded.

"Same here," Rosalita said.

Jodi sighed over the connection. _**"Well, it's starting to get dark. I don't think you guys should be out then, it's way too dangerous."**_

"We don't know the creature is nocturnal," Burt pointed out, Rosalita holding her radio towards him for the others to hear. Her eyebrows rose as he finished.

"I'm not staying out here all night with some monstruo loco, sleeping or not."

 _ **"Same,"**_ Tyler said. " _ **Besides, I'm beat. Barely slept last night as it was."**_

"Just stating a fact," Burt grumbled with no real annoyance in his tone. He was too tired for emotions.

 _ **"Are you coming back then?"**_ Jodi asked.

Burt nodded and Rosalita voiced the affirmative to the others. "We'll be back at the bunker soon. Over and out."

After the vicious attack on the tour that morning, Burt had called an official Red Alert and everyone had fled to the safety of his underground home. It was a bit cramped with ten people (Cletus had come over from his own valley to visit and Harlow had stuck around after the mutilated cattle were found), but it was necessary. They knew nothing about the creature except that it was deadly.

Burt and Rosalita hurried back to his truck, keeping an eye out for any sudden movement. It would be just their luck for the creature to attack the second they stopped looking. They reached it without incident and started on their way.

About halfway to the bunker, Larry called in. _**"We're gonna be a little late, flat tire. Over."**_

Burt immediately grabbed his radio. "Where are you, we'll come help. Over."

 _ **"No, Tyler's got it. And we haven't seen any sign of the creature in a few hours, we'll be fine."**_

"That thing is good at hiding and it's getting dark. With one of you preoccupied it could be on you in seconds," Burt argued. He didn't like the situation at all.

Tyler's voice answered him before he could protest any further. _**"Burt, forget it. You're all the way on the other side of the valley, by the time you get here I'll be done. I know how to speed change a tire, even without an air gun. We'll check in every few minutes, don't worry."**_

Burt sighed. He still didn't like it, but he knew his partner was right. He and Rosalita had been closer to town from the start. There was no way they'd get to Tyler and Larry in time to prevent any attack, no matter how fast they went. "Fine. But hurry up."

 _ **"Yes sir,"**_ Larry said. Burt could practically hear the mock salute. _**"Over and out."**_

They pulled up to the gate a few minutes later just as Larry checked in, as promised. Tyler was putting the spare tire on and would be done soon. It would still take them about half an hour to get to the bunker, but everyone would feel better once they were mobile again.

Jodi and Nancy were the only ones still up when they got inside, everyone else given in to the exhaustion of worry and stress. Rosalita made a bee-line for Burt's room, where she and Casey had called dibs on the only real bed in the place. Roger, Harlow, and Cletus were spread out on various air mattresses or chairs and Nancy looked like she was claiming the couch. Jodi was making up her own cot that she had brought, an investment she'd made after sudden sleepovers started becoming the necessary norm. Burt looked around, wondering where he would sleep and debating on whether he should yet. He was dead tired but with two people still out, he didn't feel comfortable going to bed.

"There's an extra mattress over there," Nancy said, pointing to the other side of the table where a queen-sized air bed Burt hadn't noticed was already blown up and ready. "Go on to bed, I'll stay up 'til they get here. You're not going to last anyway."

Figuring she was probably right, and too tired to argue, Burt relieved himself of his shoes and vest, placed his sidearm next to the bed, and laid down. He didn't really like sleeping fully clothed but he didn't have the energy to change into something more comfortable. Not that it mattered anyway; he was asleep the second his head hit the pillow.

 _ **OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO**_

Forty minutes later, Tyler and Larry finally showed up. Nancy had drifted off after their last check in and the bunker was silent. Moving quietly so as not to wake anyone, they unloaded their gear and looked for a place to sleep. Larry took the other end of the couch, using the armrest as a pillow. Tyler turned off the main light and headed for the small lamp on the table. The only ready open space was next to Burt and he was too exhausted to make up his own spot.

Not bothering to undress even a little bit, he aimed as best he could, turned off the lamp, and flopped down.

If his brain hadn't been suffering from the effects of lack of sleep, he might've realized that maybe dropping onto an air mattress next to a sleeping Burt Gummer wasn't the brightest of ideas. But it was and he didn't.

Burt let out a strangled yell as he suddenly felt half of himself flying off the bed and onto the floor, his leg caught under something hard and somewhat painful. Barely awake, high strung from the creature threat, and overly paranoid on a good day, Burt reacted on instinct, scrabbling for his gun and shooting blindly at whatever had apparently bit his leg.

If his shout hadn't woken the others up, the gunshot certainly did. Startled screams and anxious questions rang through the house but Burt didn't answer them. He could only focus on the disturbingly familiar pained cry next to him, mixed with the sound of the mattress popping and deflating. He froze, straining to see his attacker/victim in the dark as he became coherent enough to realize where he was and how unlikely it was any creature had gotten inside.

"GODDAMMIT BURT, WHAT THE HELL?!" Tyler's voice shrieked against Burt's eardrums and he felt the blood drain from his face as someone finally found a light switch.

Taking in the scene in front of him, Burt instantly came to two realizations: One, the "creature that bit him" had been Tyler's boot. And two, _he'd just shot Tyler_.

"What happened?" Rosalita's demand lost its urgency half way through as she took in the destroyed mattress, Burt aiming his gun at Tyler in shock, and finally Tyler clutching his leg. Her eyes widened and Casey gasped behind her.

"Burt, what did you _do_?" Nancy shouted in horror as Casey rushed to Tyler's side.

Burt jolted out of his trance, dropping the gun. "He startled me!"

"You _shot_ me!" Tyler shouted back.

"Move your hands!" Casey ordered.

The bullet had apparently hit Tyler's right inner thigh before going into the mattress and the blood was already soaking his pants. Burt paled even further.

"I don't think it hit the artery," Casey said as she examined it. "Took a chunk out of the side of your leg though." She looked up at Burt. "What the hell happened?"

"I-…I thought I was being attacked or something," Burt said, his defensive tone coming out far more guilty instead.

"So you _shot_ me?" Tyler was giving him a dirty look he couldn't meet.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Harlow asked.

Casey nodded. "Needs stitches, but you'll be fine."

"I'll get the bandages," Nancy offered, hurrying to the safe room.

"I can't believe you _shot_ me," Tyler said again.

Burt frowned at him, growing more indignant now he knew Tyler was okay. "Well what were you doing throwing me off the bed in the middle of the night?" he demanded. "What did you expect me to do?"

"How about _assess the situation first_!"

"I couldn't see, how was I supposed to assess anything when I thought I was getting attacked?"

"It's called talking, Burt!"

"You could've said something, too!"

"I WAS BUSY GETTING SHOT, YOU IDIOT!"

* * *

 **I am a horrible person.**


End file.
